Keyword Search Result: intestacy

Does an adopted child have the right to inherit?

The Facts: When I was three, my parents adopted a baby and named her Mary. My mother died seven years later and my father remarried. My father and his second wife had two children together. My father recently died without a Will. My half-siblings insist that since Mary is not my father’s biological child, she […]

Who has Legal Authority to Sign a Deed?

The Facts: Last year my aunt Sue died without a Will. She was widowed and owned a house that had been in our family for generations. The understanding was that when she died, the next generation, including me and my siblings, would inherit the house. Recently, my aunt’s daughter, Mary, signed a deed transferring the […]

The differences between joint tenancy and tenancy in common

The Facts:  After my husband died, I remarried a wonderful man named Joe. Joe had been married before and had 3 children with his first wife. Since Joe moved into my house and was helping to pay the carrying costs, I decided to add Joe as an owner on the deed to my house. Shortly […]

Can My Adopted Child Claim a Share of His Birth Father’s Estate?

Recently a client contacted me with a question about her  adoptive son’s right to claim a share of his birth father’s estate. She was under the impression that the adoption relieved the father of all obligations to the child and wanted to know if she was correct. Generally an adopted child does not have the […]